Safe from 6 months. Turnips provide vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. The greens are even more nutritious than the root, with calcium, iron, and vitamins A and K.
Raw turnips are firm, dense, and pungently earthy with a sharp, slightly bitter bite from sulfur compounds similar to other brassicas. Boiling or roasting mellows the sharpness considerably, producing a creamy, mild, faintly sweet root with a flavor somewhere between potato and mild radish. Young spring turnips have a much milder, sweeter flavor than large late-season ones. They pair naturally with butter, apple, potato, carrot, honey (for adults), ginger, thyme, and cream.
Peel and roast or steam until completely soft. Mild and slightly sweet when young. Cut into spears.
Dice and roast or steam. Can be mashed or served as finger food.
Roasted, mashed, in stews, or raw grated in slaws.
Ingredients
Steps
Apple sweetness balances the natural bitterness of turnip without adding sugar. Use small or young turnips for the mildest flavor.
Garden notes
Baby turnips (small ones) are milder and sweeter. Greens are also edible and nutritious.
Fast-growing cool-season root - spring and fall plantings both work well.
Harvest for baby
Steam or roast until fork-tender. Small turnips are sweeter and smoother than large ones.
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